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NEWS IN BRIEF
• TAIWAN LEASE
China Airlines (CAL) is to
lease six new Boeing 737-
400s, as part of its previously
announced order for six 737-
800s. The 737-400s will serve
as an interim replacement for
three 737-200s and two lea
sed Airbus Industrie A3 20s,
until the new -800s are deliv
ered in 1998. The first three -
400s will enter service in
December and the remainder
in January and March 1997.
CAL has also leased a seventh
747-200 freighter from Atlas
Air for use on its new Taipei-
Penang route and added fre
quencies to San Francisco.
• FLIGHTLINE MOVE
UK charter operator Flight-
Line/Alpine Aviation moved
its operations from London
Gatwick to Stansted Airport
on 1 April. The move co
incides with the introduction
of two 68-seat British Aero
space ATP turboprops, which
will complement FlightLine's
BAe 146 jet operations, flying
mainly between Stansted and
Geneva and Zurich for Swiss
tour operator Falcon Travel.
• BOEING'S SKYLINE
Indian independent airline
Skyline NEPC, which was
known as Damania Airways
until 1995's take-over by
NEPC, is to introduce three
leased Boeing 737-200s or
737-300s in April to streng
then and expand its network.
The source of the aircraft is
unknown. The airline oper
ates four 737-200s on dom
estic routes.
• CREW SHUTTLE
Dutch charter/scheduled
carrier Martinair has taken
delivery of an Embraer EMB-
120. The aircraft, previously
owned by Sabena subsidiary
Delta Air Transport, will be
based in the Caribbean to
transfer its crews between
the various islands served by
Martinair during its extensive
holiday-charter work in the
region.
Royal Brunei adds to 767fleet while the Sultan opts for Airbus
Sultan of Brunei adds to
fleet with first A340-8000
PAUL LEWIS/SINGAPORE
THE SULTAN OF BRUNEI has ordered the first ultra-
long-range Airbus A3 40-8000 to
add to his growing VIP fleet of per
sonal jet-powered airliners.
It is understood that the aircraft
is scheduled for delivery in 1997
and that it will be the first long-haul
-8000 derivative of the A340 to
leave the assembly line in Toulouse.
The aircraft was selected in prefer
ence to the Boeing 777.
The A3 40 will be configured
with a luxury interior. It will be fit
ted with auxiliary fuel tanks and
have a range of more than
14,800km (8,000nm), enabling the
Sultan to fly non-stop from Brunei
to the USA or Europe. The A340-
8000 will almost certainly be based
at Bandar Seri Begawan Airport.
Lufthansa aircrew are contracted
to fly the Sultan's fleet of aircraft,
which includes two shorter-range
A340-200s. Other aircraft in service
with the Brunei royal family are a
Boeing 747-400 and 767, an Airbus
A310 and A3 20 and a large number
of Gulfstream GIVs.
In the meantime, flag carrier
Royal Brunei Airlines has taken
delivery of the first of two new
Boeing 767-300ERs. The aircraft
were originally ordered by Air
France, but then cancelled as part
of Government cutbacks in 1995.
The two General Electric CF6-
80-powered aircraft increase Royal
Brunei's fleet to nine 767-300s,
including one aircraft leased to
Vietnam Airlines. The second new
767 is due for delivery in April.
The airline's fleet of Boeing 757s
has been reduced to two, following
the recent sale of one aircraft to the
Kazakhstan Government, now
being refitted in the USA with a
new VIP interior for use by the
Kazakhstan president. •
USA and Poland expand
air-services agreement
THE USA AND POLAND have amended their air-ser
vices agreement to expand route
rights and clear the way for limited
codesharing between Polish and
US air carriers.
Announcing the new pact, US
Secretary of Transportation Fed-
erico Pena said that he hopes to
"...continue to liberalise our avia
tion relations with Poland, to
achieve the same open-skies envi
ronment we have created with
many other European countries".
Although there are some im
mediate alterations to the agree
ment, the changes will largely be
phased in by late 1998. Over the
period, the number of points which
may be served by each side's air car
riers will gradually increase. By 1
November, 1998, Polish carriers
— effectively national airline
LOT-Polish Airlines — will be
able to serve two new US cities and
ten additional US points through
codesharing deals.
The deal was immediately fol
lowed by US approval for a code-
sharing agreement between
American Airlines and LOT. Delta
is the only US carrier serving
Poland at present.
By the same date, US carriers
will be allowed to serve two addi
tional Polish cities and three others
via codesharing. The agreement
also allows carriers to codeshare
widi third-country airlines, from 1
November, 1996. •
Lufthansa completes
cargo formalities
LUFTHANSA CARGO and the Hinduja Group have com
pleted the formation of a joint-ven
ture airline, Lufthansa Cargo India.
The airline will begin operations
by mid-year. Lufthansa Cargo
holds 40% of the venture, with
Hinduja owning the rest. The op
eration, based at Delhi, will operate
two Boeing 727-200F freighters to
start with, stepping up to five in
October. The company will oper
ate as Hinduja Cargo Services —
Lufthansa Venture.
The airline will initially take over
Lufthansa Cargo McDonnell
Douglas DC-8 routes between
Bangalore, Bombay, Calcutta,
Delhi and Madras, as well as the
cargo hub at Sharjah in die Gulf. It
will also fly from Sharjah to Hyder
abad, via Bombay. •
14 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 3 - 9 April 1996